DVD FIEND: DVD ROUND-UP

More capsule reviews:

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE WEIRD: This was a 100% awesome Korean flick that invokes Sergio Leone's original spaghetti and turns into one heck of Chapchae! Explosively action-packed and full of quirky characters this reinterpretation takes the gist of Leone's classic and really makes it it's own to very entertaining effect. Like Leone's movie, director Ji-woon Kim centers the sprawling story around three main characters, each with his own agenda, that crisscrosses the others till they all come together for the final showdown. The music is fantastic, cinematography is grand, and overall this is one hell of a flick. Highly recommended.

COP-OUT: I braced myself for the worst, but I got OK, and I'm fine with that. Kevin Smith's first real "for hire" story comes across just that way. Very workman like, funny in a few more spots than the trailers had me believing, and Tracey Morgan and Bruce Willis played off each decently. It's not great, but watchable.

THE WOLFMAN: OOF! What the heck?! This remake starts off OK, but it plummets drastically in the final third. Benicio Del Toro is downright terrible in the lead role, and Antony Hopkins hams it up a bit too much. Some decent scenes early, and OK cinematography and costume design, but the CG is lackluster, and again the ending is ridiculous. I wish they had used more practical effects in this one. Disappointing.

DVD FIEND: SHUTTER ISLAND

It's pretty needless to say that Martin Scorcese is one of the great directors of all time. His films have continuously brought high quality and class to the screen and Shutter Island is no different. Once again teaming with his current muse, Leonardo DiCaprio, Shutter Island tells the tale of two 1950's FBI agents sent to investigate a disappearance on a island that only houses an insane asylum. Nothing is kosher on the island, though, and soon DiCaprio is on a one-way trip into madness. While that may sound like standard fare or, more accurately, old time fare, Scorcese handles this material with the respect and smarts of the master film maker he is.

This is a fantastic film with a heavy atmosphere that chokes you out and makes you feel as though you are on the island with DiCaprio and costar Mark Ruffalo, discovering everything they are and making that descent with them. I really don't want to get further than that in terms of plot, but it's terrifying and interesting, and very well done. The cinematography is so intense and visceral. I actually felt cold watching this movie, it's that effective. The acting is a true throwback, too. Scorcese directs his troupe to be over-the-top and to channel 50's noir film. This can be a draw or drawback for an individual, but it worked very well for me. DiCaprio is really good (he usually is), but Ruffalo deserves major props for his side-kick role. He's just a hoot. On the whole there isn't much to complain about in that department honestly.

Scorcese put an interestingly different feather in his cap with Shutter Island and he did it with style. It's dark and makes you think, but doesn't overstay that welcome. Overall, this is a film that you should really catch if you haven't. And it's Scorcese so I'm sure that won't be a problem!

DVD FIEND: HOT TUB TIME MACHINE

Oh yeah, now we're talking! Here, my friends, we have a truly great film! No, it's not Citizen Kane, but this is the type of movie I grew up with and have been waiting for the longest time to be recreated. There were a few flicks that I thought might achieve this, most recently Date Night, but I've been disappointed time and again. Hot Tub Time Machine delivers gloriously, though, and I couldn't have been happier with the results.

Again, I'm not talking rocket science here. The greats of the 80's weren't that by any means. Movies like Bachelor Party, Ferris Beuller's Day Off, Vacation, and Adventures in Babysitting were just hysterical, sometimes raunchy, romps, as well as disguised adventure movies. They also just felt like a good time captured on screen, rather than a paint-by-numbers film that we mostly see these days. That said, I will say Todd Phillips' films have mostly been in tune with that 80's approach, some fantastically so.

I'm straying here, but that's OK, because it's the feeling and joy that this movie gave me that is most important. The story is what it is, the acting works, and the guys are funny and play off each other well. So at the end of the day, saying more about this movie would be silly. It works for me on a cellular level, and it may not for you. It's just a really funny, well-told flick. One that if you dug the movies I've mentioned, then you should check out. I loved it.

DVD FIEND: DVD ROUND-UP

Here's three more capsule reviews of films I've seen recently:

WHIP IT: Drew Barrymore's directorial debut is a wonderfully quirky flick filled with tons of interesting characters. The story revolves around a girl who longs to get away from her mom's obsessions of turning her into a beauty queen and her revolt through joining a roller derby team coached by Andrew Wilson, brother of Luke and Owen in a fun turn. Ellen Page does a nice job in the lead role as well, as does all of cast including Juliet Lewis, Kristin Wiig, Jimmy Fallon, and Barrymore herself. Sure it follows the sports movie model, but Barrymore takes us through the proceedings with zesty aplomb that's true to herself. Congratulations on a fine debut. If you haven't seen this one please do, you shouldn't be disappointed.

DATE NIGHT: That said, I can't do the same for this next movie. I had sort of high hopes for this comedy vehicle starring Steve Carrell and Tina Fey, two actors I generally like, but that wasn't to be. It looked like an Adventures in Babysitting type of throwback in trailers, but all it was was bland. Save for a couple of good chuckles, I wasn't entertained.

NINJA ASSASSIN: Now this one, on the other hand, was rather entertaining, albeit on a different spectrum. Was this a good movie? Nooooo, come on, you knew it wouldn't be, but Ninja Assassin delivers as a mindless ninja movie. It's completely balls-to-the wall action packed with CGI that I thought was better than advertised. Maybe because I saw it on the small screen it worked better and looked clearer than I had heard, who knows. All I know is I had a good time with this one. I felt like it was 1986 and I was watching Saturday afternoon Kung-Fu flicks. To me, that's awesome.

DVD FIEND: THE BOOK OF ELI

You can usually count on Denzel Washington to give a good performance and The Book of Eli is no different. Denzel is asked to mostly carry the film on his own, a task he is more than up for. Sure, you have the wonderfully criminal Gary Oldman giving us his usually spot-on character piece, but it's Denzel that the narrative mostly follows giving us a study of a man left with one sole purpose.

The story is about this purpose. Denzel travels along a post-apocalyptic wasteland with a special book in his possesion. As he tries to get this book to where it'll make a difference in this new world, he comes across Oldman, who rules a town with an iron fist and has been searching for such a book himself. When he discovers that Denzel has one he stops at nothing to try to make it his own.

The trailers to this movie looked fantastically slick, so I was hoping the cinematography captured in those would transfer over well throughout the whole film, and it did. The Hughes Bros gave us a gorgeous and entertaining motion picture that can be viewed as a work of art. Truly this is the driving impetus of the film. That's not to say that it is only reason to watch. The aforementioned performances are wonderful. The pacing is deceptive, as it's slow one minute and break-neck the next, a strength of the Hughes from the beginning of their careers. It's a shame that this was their first feature since From Hell. The action sequences are fantastic, and the story is simple, but makes sense, and never gets in the way of the journey.

Overall, this was a fine film. It's serious without being depressing, but clearly angled toward an audience that can equally enjoy an action flick and great filmmking. Give it a rent!

DVD FIEND: KICK-ASS

There are very few movies that I will watch and then instantly want to press play again. Kick-Ass was one of the few that gave me that feeling. I was just so amazingly stoked after seeing it that I was ready to hit play again. I just never actually do that, but this was rather close, but enough about that. Let's talk Kick-Ass, a comic book adaptation that truly does kick ass. Matthew Vaughn directed this super fun flick based on Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.'s violent Marvel Icon comic, and boy did he nail it!

The story, about a teenager who decides to be a masked vigilante/super hero, isn't necessarily a new one, but it's the execution of this story that takes the layer cake. Everyone involved in this flick does a great job. All of the lead roles are portrayed with juicy zestiness. Especially great are the performances of Chloe Grace Moretz as Hit Girl and Mark Strong as the antagonist, but also Nic Cage has to be commended for channelling Adam West. Vaughn does well with all of these characters, mixing them up and giving all of them their due without ever feeling cramped.

That said, the meat and potatoes of this movie is the outstanding action and driving soundtrack. The two elements mix so well that the performances could have been terrible and this movie would've still rocked! I have nothing more to say really that hasn't already been said. Sure, it's controversial, as Hit Girl is like 12, and killing everyone in sight, but this isn't a kids movie, so don't worry about it and give it a rent if you haven't seen it already. I absolutely loved it. Two Fiendish Claws straight up!

For more Fiend on Kick-Ass check out Lou's Feature review of the movie here.

DVD FIEND: DAYBREAKERS

Finally, a vampire movie with a little bite! Sorry, I couldn't resist that one, but seriously, this movie did something more with the genre than the recent trend of romance-infused flicks have dared tried to, and that's to make you think. So that's definitely an early plus. Daybreakers offers us a more fleshed out world where vampires rule and humans are cattle, and doing it with a style and class benefitting the classic vampires core. It also brings back more of the traditional horror values that made this subgenre so horrific in the first place.

The story revolves around a vampire scientist, played aptly by Ethan Hawke, who is trying to perfect a highly volatile blood substitute because humans are becoming scarce. And the less blood the vampires have, the more they devolve into Nosferatu type creatures. By accident, though, Hawke meets up with the human resistance who are both trying to survive and find a cure for the vampire disease. Yes, it is treated as such, and with that moral dilemmas abound. Hawke soon sides with the humans as society begins to break down because of the growing blood shortage.

Daybreakers is all executed rather well by the Spierig Brothers, who's debut film, the Aussie Undead, proved that they can handle this material with a flair all their own. They drive the story through interesting, action packed avenures as they get to a rather sick ending. This is a well shot movie that looks really good in every way. The FX are rather well done, and the devolved creatures are both disgusting and fantastical. The set design has a sort of Bladerunneresque feel to it, while the costume design for the vampires is wonderfully retro. To complement all of this creativity, the acting is pretty decent led by the aforementioned Hawke, and followed by good performances by Willem Dafoe and a devilish Sam Neil.

Overall, this us a great addition to a genre that sorely needed a kick in the Twilight. I definitely recommend it for horror and sci-fi fans who are tired of the watered down vampire movies Hollywood has been cranking out. Give it a rent today.

DVD FIEND: DVD ROUNDUP

Another round of quickie DVD reviews:

The Slammin' Salmon: Broken Lizard's latest was a decently fun little comedy. Not as great as Super Troopers or Beerfest, but way better than Club Dread. The team play waiters who are competing for a cash prize and are trying not to get a gut shot by restaurant owner Michael Clarke Duncan, who kind of has some of the better scenes in the movie. Good for a few chuckles.

Damage: Steve Austin is a street fighter in a B movie, and it's actually not so bad! I mean, it's generic as all hell, but if you like Austin, like I do, then this is for you. It's Stone Cold as the badass he is, and there's a bit of drama thrown in as well. If you know how to check your head, then I can say give this one a rent.

Defendor: Woody Harrelson, coming off an awesome turn in Zombieland, plays another great character in this faux-superhero drama. In this one Woody plays a guy who thinks he's a superhero and his mission is to take out the evil Captain Industry, even if it kills him. This is a pretty good movie, maybe a little more dramatic than I would've thought, but entertaining none-the-less.

DVD FIEND: DVD ROUND-UP

I'll be doing a bunch of these over the next few months. I hope you dig them!

Terminator: Salvation: I've pretty much liked this entire series, so when this one was announced I was hopeful. I liked the folks putting it all together and the trailers looked damn good. When it came out, though, there was alot of negative reviews and word-of-mouth. I didn't get out to see it, but I finally did check it out on DVD, and you know what? I liked it. McG put together a fun, good-looking movie. I'm really starting to dig Sam Worthington and Christian Bale, while not as good as usual, was fine. The effects were excellent, even the Arnold Terminator. Overall, worth watching.

Public Enemies: Michael Mann is always solid and PE is no different. Johnny Depp stars as John Dillenger, a gangster, and Billy Crudup is J. Edgar Hoover, charged with bringing down him and his gang. While I don't care for the more modern mob movies, Godfather-Goodfellas, I love these old-time, depression era settings. It's more mythological and Mann and Depp are in their element here. Great acting all around in this one. Very good movie.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: I absolutely loved this movie! Very imaginative and absolutely fantastic looking, and just sooo much fun. A ton of great visual gags, too. For kids of all ages for sure.

DVD FIEND: THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL

2009 gave us The House of the Devil, an 80s period piece focusing on the Satanist scares of that era. The film is written, directed, and edited by Ti West, who is able to capture the essence of the period by employing filming techniques, film technology, authentic 80s props bought via eBay and the like, and even by commissioning a poster that could have come from 1983. To further the capture the time period, West and company created a title sequence in bold yellow letters that screams late 70s early 80s. In other words, West and company nailed, this film feels like it was made in the early 70s.

Unfortunately, this is also to a fault, the film is a very slow burn and for much of it we are following around Jocelin Donahue who plays the film’s lead actress, Samantha Hughes. While, I’m not opposed to ‘slow burn’ films, I was almost bored. Luckily, Jocelin Donahue is easy to watch, and her character is very endearing. The entire movie relies on her performance—and to me, she is able to carry the movie to its conclusion.

I’ll stay away from the plot details as to not ‘spoil’ anything, but much of the plot relies on satanic scares/panic from that time. I think West and company could’ve done a better job of informing the viewer on this important element, but you get enough of it that it’s not really an issue. Once the plot begins to thicken, certain background elements begin to coalesce. Once Samantha is left in the home, the movie takes on a very haunted house vibe, and I was sold. Every little noise, dark corner, and ominous shot had me biting my nails—but still nothing really happened. The tension was palpable, and everything on screen was a deliberate tick of the visual clock. The ending seemed to sprint in stark contrast to the first hour or so of the film, and I loved it. All the waiting, and near-boredom paid off in a bittersweet bitch of an ending.

I have to say this is an excellent movie. Despite its slow pace, and minimalist cast, I found myself being pulled by a fishing line to the finale. The movie was crafted elegantly, and true to the period it effortlessly emulated. I loved the grainy film stock, the stark lighting, the score, all of it. If you’re into satanic stories, haunted house movies, or the 80s aesthetic in general then this is a movie for you. There is a small slasher-like element, but if that’s what you are looking for you won’t find it here. This is more of substance than fluff, and you have to be willing to sit and wait and get to know Samantha, before you can be afraid for her.

DVD FIEND: DISTRICT 9

District 9, arguably one of the best sci-fi movies of our times, was recognized this year for that with a Best Picture nomination, and for good reason. It is one of the most outstanding achievements in cinema that I have ever seen. It takes the concept of aliens coming to Earth and treats it very realistically, drawing on themes and parallels to South Africa's Apartheid issues. We have Neill Blomkamp (and his writing partner Terri Tatchell) to thank for all of the sheer brilliance empowered here in a directorial debut worth noting with the most giant of Post-its. Stick that note where ever you can, and remember his name.

The story revolves around an alien mothership stranded over Johannesburg, South Africa. It seems that the aliens aboard are refugees from their planet, and cannot even repair their broken down ship. The government sequesters them, creating like a slum under their huge ship. The story really kicks into gear when an agent in charge of relocating the aliens gets infected by something that is changing him into one of them, and because of that he begins to see things through their eyes.

It's a simple story that we've seen many times before, including the recent blockbuster Avatar, but D9 takes things to another level all together. The aforementioned realism is such a huge factor, and the effects (special, visual, and sound) are as perfect as you can get, but what really makes this film shine is the performance of Sharlto Copley as the government agent who becomes enlightened to the aliens' plights. He is as natural as you can get, which makes his situation even more believable. The intricacies of his character and the performance of it are a true marriage of writing and acting. You really feel for Copley's character, but also revile him. It's quite impressive. What also stands apart is the acting of the CGI aliens, which is as good as it gets. Can a CGI character receive an Academy Award acting nom? If great sci-fi movies like this keep pushing the envelope, it's going to be a viable question in the near future.

Overall, this is a fanastic movie, and one of last year's best. If you haven't seen it yet, make it a priority. Here's the Netflix link.

DVD FIEND: SURROGATES

Take a pretty cool sci-fi graphic novel and add in Bruce Willis, and you should have a good flick, right? Well, you'd be partially right at least. Surrogates is an interesting, if unoriginal, idea in either format, but the film version is lacking something, although I don't exactly know what that is. Like I said, it does have Bruce Willis in the leading role, and he does some fine work in these types of movies, but lately he's felt a little tired. This performance wasn't any different, but I still can't help but like the guy. He's really not the problem, though. Maybe the whole thing just feels a little forced, and kind of falls short of the feel of the comic. The book has a grit that this movie lacks, so I guess that is where the problem lies. Surrogates is a just a bit too glossy, falling into the realm of the Terminator 3 rather than The Fifth Element in the sci-fi spectrum. And, hey, it's directed by Jonathan Mostow, who directed T3, so there you have it.

The setting is a world where perfect human-looking androids have been created to replace you in your everyday tasks. This way there is no daily dangers posed to you, and you can look great, and do whatever you'd like. The story starts when a human user dies after his Surrogate kicks it. Willis plays a police detective trying to figure out why, who then, naturally, gets in involved in a much larger plot to destroy the Surrogates. There are some good twists in this movie, some very good action, and honestly the movie has substantial themes, so there is something to it.

So, can I recommend it? Yeah sure, just don't get too hyped up. If you can catch it on cable or wait till its streaming, then that's really the best way to go on this one!

DVD FIEND: (500) DAYS OF SUMMER

While you may think this is a romantic comedy, it's more of a dealing with a heart-breaking break-up type of comedy. Yeah, "yawn" you may say, but this indie flick is done in way that is unconventional and original, and is altogether pretty darn good. The story unfolds within the span of the 500 days that Joseph Gordon Levitt's character meets, goes out with, breaks-up, and gets over Zooey Deschanel's Summer. If I just gave away the whole story, forgive me, but this movie isn't about its over-arching story, but rather its individual parts, and how it is brilliantly constructed. Each scene, or "day", is chosen at random from those 500 days, and none are in any order. It's a pretty cool way to put together a movie, and peek inside this doomed, but sorta sweet relationship.

Not only is this aspect unique, but the characters of Summer and Tom are fleshed out very well, and you can't help but get involved with them. I'm sure at some point in your lives you've experienced both of these point of views, and can relate. It's this relation that makes for a strong connection with the viewer. And Gordon-Levitt and Deschanel's chemistry plays off each other at just the right points, and then makes like a magnet touching another magnet when it is necessary. Kudos to them. Levitt received a Golden Globe nomination for this performance, so there you go.

Overall, this is quite an interesting movie. I really dug everything about it, and look forward to Marc Webb's next movie, which actually might be the Spider-man reboot. So queue this one up if you haven't.

DVD FIEND: 9

While very short, the animated post-apocalyptic adventure flick 9 is still a fantastic piece of cinema. It was first an Oscar nominated student short, but it quickly won the attention of some big name directors and Shane Acker took that attention (and funding!) and expanded his short into a feature.

The movie is about these small doll-like robots who are seemingly the only living things left on Earth. Their existence is threatened by the evil robots that destroyed it, though, and the story revolves around their survival and battle with their antagonists.

The animation is very good, and the characters emote very well despite being doll-robot thingees. This aspect really draws you in and carries the film. The design work is very creative and overall looks spectacular. The voices fit perfectly, and never seemed out of place.

My only gripe is the running time, as I felt more could have been done and certain points could have been expanded. Don't get me wrong, though, its 79 minutes, while bare-bones, are well utilized, and every minute is seemingly important. I just wanted more! I hope Mr. Acker will get to explore this world again, it was quite fun.

Definitely recommend it. Rent it now.

DVD FIEND: PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES

Planet of the Vampires, directed by Mario Bava, (for me) was a good B-movie. I'll say this right now, I couldn't find a single vampire in this movie, though! Mario Bava's visual flare has been said to have influenced many filmmakers and among them is Dario Argento, and after seeing this movie I can see how. The plot is fairly simplistic but the set design, and lighting were a pleasure to see. The colors were vivid and well placed, adding much means of atmosphere and depth. The film is somewhat claustrophobic and limited in what we see beyond the spacecraft but Bava managed to keep it from being boring. It's a bit of a bleak movie but manages not to be depressing. I recommend this movie if you like B-movies. If you're looking for the movie that inspired Aliens, this is it, but don't expect that type of flick!

DVD FIEND: AWAY WE GO

I'll keep this one rather short, as it's been a few weeks now, but I couldn't get around to it.

This is a nice little indie comedy about finding the perfect place to raise a kid. It's pretty funny with John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as the awaiting parents, who travel the US and Canada visiting friends and relatives in their quest. The duo has an uncanny chemistry, that is sweet and fairly realistic. I think this is what makes the movie so funny, and rather poignant. Rudolph was especially good coming from SNL to a leading role, and playing it very convincingly. Krasinski is darn good as well as the aloof boyfriend that loves his girlfriend unconditionally. Much of the drama comes from Rudolph not actually wanting to marry Krasinski, but proclaims her commitment none-the-less. The supporting cast is rather good, with all of the performers making their roles memorable. And the ending works very well, tying up everything with a nice bow. Sam Mendes, who's had a nice string of movies, did very well in bringing this all together. It's a very good movie, that I will easily recommend to you. Enjoy!

DVD FIEND: BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE

As with the Anime version of this movie, the opening scene is completely fantastic, but afterwards steadily falls apart. The biggest problem facing this film version is that it expands the story held within the less than an hour Anime to about an hour and a half of added convoluted script. Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad, and what comes from the Anime is still pretty good, and the action is well done and stylish, but overall it left me feel flat.

The story is set in 1970 Japan where Vampires are preparing to strike amidst the Vietnam War. A lot of the action takes place in and around a US Airforce where the vamps have infiltrated and probably plan to use that to their advantage, although that's a tad unclear. Enter our heroine, Saya, a half-vampire by birth who is out to kill the rest of her breed and their mother-leader, Onigen. The story keeps flashing back to Saya's training a good 400 years or so prior which are pretty well-produced pieces, especially the battle to end the flashbacks that reveals the reasons for Saya's hatred. Saya also works for a secret agency called the Council who are out to destroy Onigen, but as in any shady organization, treachery may abound. What, I didn't give anything away!

It all sounds fine for a popcorn flick, but so much of it just doesn't come together. The acting is pretty terrible, with most of the actors sounding like they stepped out of the Anime sound-booth to get in front of the camera. The CGI work is even worse with some of the completely transformed bloodsuckers looking like they need some severe full-body plastic surgery. The editing makes things worse, as some scene transitions leave you scratching your head, but a lot of that blame can be put on the inconsistency of the story.

I do, however, come back to a positive, because when the action starts the movie does sing, and the one of the major battles in the middle of Tokyo is pretty darn awesome with hundreds of vamps vs. Saya, and our heroine kicking ass. The final battle is pretty interesting as well with the style of it being the major draw there. So there are pluses, and uncharacteristically I am being kinda harsh to the type of flicks I'm usually attracted to, but what can you do. Can't win 'em all.

For fans action and Anime, it's worth a check.

DVD FIEND: ANGELS AND DEMONS

I haven't read the books, and most likely won't, but I've dug both of these films based on Dan Brown's novels. The sequel (of sorts) to The Davinci Code is a far superior film, though. Ron Howard and Tom Hanks are both back as director and star, and both do more with the material than in the first movie. That said, the films are pretty different. While the first one is more of a mystery movie, Angels and Demons is more of an action/adventure movie.

This time, the Vatican sends for Professor Robert Langdon (Hanks) after the Pope dies, and the Cardinals who are next in line are kidnapped. From there it's a race against time to find the Cardinals before they are all killed, and the Vatican and surrounding area is destroyed via a small black-hole. Sound far-fetched? Maybe, but it's done very well. Overall, it is pretty interesting stuff that connects some religious history with modern scientific discoveries. Sure, the two rarely mix, but that is the whole point of this movie and provides the crux of the story. As stated, Hanks is pretty good here as are all of the supporting cast. Ewan McGregor is very good as the Pope's Carmelengo, as is Armin Mueller-Stahl as a high-ranking Cardinal. Stellan Skarsgard seems a bit wasted here, but otherwise a very good performance by all.

The film is quite suspenseful and keeps you on your toes till the end. The action is very briskly paced, but without getting confusing and rushed. In general, this is a very solid movie, and a big improvement over the first, although I dug that one as well. I'd recommend both of these films, however you need not see both as they do not connect as direct sequels.

Give Angels and Demons a rent, there are worse ways to spend an evening.

DVD FIEND: DOOMSDAY

I finally got around to seeing Neil Marshall's latest, and boy was I sad that I waited so long! The director's third effort (Dog Soldiers and The Descent preceded this) was a solid flick that was sensible to himself while paying homage to his obvious influences. To say the movie is set in a Carpenteresque Escape from NY type of world is an understatement. Everything from plot ques to music felt like that movie, and that's not a bad thing at all. Marshall pulls all of that off and yet still the movie felt fresh.

While The Descent was a darker type of horror flick, Doomsday is more akin to his first movie Dog Soldiers. That one is a more fun action horror film in which soldiers are trapped in a house with a pack of werewolves outside. Doomsday is set around a futuristic virus plagued Scotland that was completely quarantined and cut-off from the rest of society. When the virus resurfaces in England, the powers that be send a team of soldiers and scientists to find a cure in the aforementioned doomed Scotland where the survivors have built an immunity to it. The rest is a total mash of Escape and Mad Max with some Excalibur thrown in, I'm not even kidding there, and it's awesome. The thing that unites those two movies is a more light-hearted approach to the subject, which hums better to me than the downer that the The Descent was.

While the cast and plot is fine and kind of derivative, it's Marshall's sense of action and horror and comedy that drives this piece forward. Everything is so well choreographed and timed perfectly that he actually had me giddy with excitement during some scenes! Because of that, Doomsday was his most fully formed film to me. It kept me satisfied from beginning to end, and has moved Marshall to one of my must-see director's list. To be sure, I'll be looking forward to his next movie, Centurion, as he moves from the future to a tale of the Roman Empire's Lost Legion. Sold!

Rent Doomsday now if you haven't!

DVD FIEND: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

It’s pretty safe to say that Quentin Tarantino is out of his mind. A giant sized man-thing that loves what he loves and is completely unashamed of it. He showcases that love in his movies every chance he gets either by lifting scenes, plot elements, music (always music), character names, or usually all of the above. Basterds continues that trend, and it doesn’t matter that Tarantino is clearly crazy, because he’s a crazy genius, actually an evil crazy genius who gets bolder and better with each movie. His love of Grindhouse styled cinema has been at the front and center of his last few efforts. That said, though, his last effort (Grindhouse's Death Proof) lacked in the better department, although it was bolder.

His latest, Inglourious Basterds, is an ode to the old Spaghetti War movies, yes there were plenty of those, too. Using the same sensibilities as the old directors did in those movies, he crafts an unwieldly tale of murderous loonies from each side of World War II brought together for different reasons. The music, again lifting heavily from the incredible Ennio Morricone, drives everything along at a pace that befits this type of movie. It's Tarantino at his best.

This movie, while feeding a sort of childish need, really glorifies doing whatever you want as a good thing. Tarantino doesn't give a damn about World War II history, instead he focuses on telling the most entertaining story he can, and that is the most refreshing thing he could do. The story is split into a few parts that all come together in the end (naturally). The first deals with Brad Pitt's team of Nazi killers made up of American Jews called the Basterds. These guys are vicious and depraved, and are out to send a message to Hitler and his henchman. The next is about a young woman whose family was earlier killed by Jew Hunter Col. Hanz Landa, an ultra smooth and scary Christoph Waltz. She now owns a theater in Paris and when a young Nazi hero turned actor falls for her, he convinces the Reich to move his big film debut to her theater. With all of the Reich's hierarchy slated to be there she conceives a plot to take them all down. Meanwhile, the British have caught wind of this premiere and send an agent of their own to foil them. The agent meets up with the Basterds to make this happen. Chaos naturally ensues.

I really loved this movie. I was literally hanging onto every character's words, and the funny thing about that is that it may be the least talkative of his movies. There's no verbal diarrhea here, more so, whenever folks do talk for an extended period it is as a means to an end. Maybe that is the time period talking, or maybe that just shows a lot of growth from Tarantino. The aforementioned Landa is fantastic and is such a perfect Tarantino actor (his Klaus Kinski even), stealing the show and scaring the hell out of you, although Pitt is probably working his best magic since Twelve Monkeys, as well. Director Eli Roth may be on the short end of the acting stick in this one, but in the context of what his character is, even that kind of works.

The ending is a great slice of revisionist history, and a truly excellent set piece. Tarantino has never lacked in it the guts department when finishing off his movies, and this one may be the best of the bunch. It is crazy action packed, and completely absurd. You're really left reveling in the depravity of it all, and that really highlights Tarantino's gift as a writer and director because honestly you just don't give a damn.

This is a fun one, folks, although, you maybe appalled at what you see, may not think it works as well as I do, but hey, give it a shot. There's no way you won't be entertained, and if you aren't, well then, maybe its time to lay off the sauce. Or get on it ASAP. Whichever applies to you.

HIGH RECOMMENDATION. Rent it now or Buy it now. Well worth it either way.